Air temperature 26°C; track 43°C; it’s dry and barely a cloud in the sky

Looks like a problem with VET’s car on the dummy grid – apparently it’s a spark plug, which they appear to have resolved just in time
Lots of smoke from GAS’ Toro Rosso as they fire it up
HAM leads everyone away on the formation lap
01/53: HAM defends P1 into Turn 1
VAN runs wide
RIC falls back to P5 behind OCO
SAI off across the gravel – he’s stuck in the gravel trap
VER dives inside VET to steal P2
RAI runs wide as HUL holds the racing line

21: HAM’s lead just over 5secs; VER has about 8secs over his teammate
OCO pits; slow right rear change; rejoins alongside ALO but the McLaren goes ahead, bumping OCO to P12
Radio for VER – “pit; please confirm”

22: VER pits from P2; soft tyres; rejoins as RAI rushes down the main straight; VER stays just ahead into Turn 1 and holds P4
Radio for HAM – “box, box; pit confirm”

23: HAM pits; softs; rejoins P3, ahead of VER

24: VER f/lap 1:33.813
GRO pits
OCO makes use of DRS to take P7 from PAL
PER now attacking PAL

52: HAM just 1.5sec ahead of VER
HAM closing on ALO but VER is closing right up to the Mercedes
ALO lets HAM lap him but closes the door on VER
VER now laps ALO
HAM now closing to lap MAS
ALO under investigation for ignoring blue flags

53/53 = final lap: HAM laps MAS
Again VER held up as he laps tail-enders
ALO all over the rear wing of MAS

HAM takes the chequered flag, with VER right behind him
RIC holds off BOT for P3
Radio from HAM reporting more vibrations from the power unit

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5 Reply to “Grand Prix of Japan – Race”

“McLaren’s Fernando Alonso has been reprimanded by Suzuka stewards and given two penalty points on his Super License for not adhering to blue-flag rules correctly whilst being lapped during Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.” [FIA]

“F1 drivers will wear a biometric sensor in their gloves from 2018. Austria’s Osterreich newspaper said the FIA wants to be able to monitor life saving data thanks to a three millimetre sensor sewn into a glove.” [grandprix]